He Knows When You're Awake
by Redvelvetunicorns
Summary: Carol and Daryl try to get Sophia to go to sleep on Christmas Eve AU where Daryl is Sophia's father


"Sophia!" Carol yelled at the little girl flying round the living room. They had tried to keep her active all day in hopes of tiring her out but it was Christmas Eve, no amount of exercise was enough to dull her adrenaline. "You need to go to bed now look at the time!"

Sophia took no notice of her mother, running up to the window and looking out at the houses opposite lit up with an array of festive lights and decorations. "But mooooom I'm too excited to sleep!"

"You remember how the song goes don't you? 'He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake.' If Santa gets here and you're not in bed he'll jump right back in his sleigh and you won't get any presents!" Carol warned, the fireplace was already stocked with a selection of treats which her and Daryl would eat once she finally went to sleep. Milk, cookies, mince pies, chocolates and carrots for the reindeer had been carefully arranged by Sophia earlier that evening, she had even left an adorable note thanking him in advance for all his hard work this year.

Sophia seemed unphased by her warning. "I'm sure he's a while away yet," the little girl shrugged, settling down crossed legged in front of the TV where Christmas films had been playing all day. Carol sighed and left her watching her film, it was time for plan B. She was like this every year so this time Carol was prepared. Closing the bedroom door softly behind her she turned to face her husband, unable to hold back her laughter when she took in his appearance.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Daryl complained as he looked at himself in the mirror. The large red Santa costume drowning his slender frame. "I'm not doing this Carol I look ridiculous."

"Sorry but she's not having any of it, do you wanna spend the next 3 hours trying to get her to go to sleep cause she's acting like there's a whole jug of coffee in her system. I'm more exhausted than her from trying to get her to settle down."

Daryl groaned pulling at the uncomfortable outfit, the scratchy white beard seriously itching his face. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle, her hands disappearing underneath the loose red jacket, nails lightly scraping across the taut muscles of his abdomen.

"Pleeease," she begged, reaching up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "I'll make it worth your while."

She watched his expression in the mirror, his eyebrow arching as he spun around to face her, her arms still tightly wrapped round his waist. "What exactly did ya have in mind?" He growled, his voice low and gravelly the way he knew drove her crazy.

She grabbed the white fur on the collar of his jacket and pulled until his face was inches from her own. "You'll have to wait and see," she whispered before planting a dizzying kiss on his lips.

"Alright," he scoffed. "But ya gonna have to help out the window, no way I'm getting out there by myself dressed in this."

"Ooh hang on!" She said running over to their closet to pull out a big sack of presents.

"Please tell me you're joking," Daryl looked at her unamused, heights had never really been his thing.

"You're Santa! You can't show up without presents!"

"What else? Have you dressed the dog up like a fucking reindeer too?!" He snapped throwing his arms up in the air.

"Oh just go on I'll pass them to you when you're out there."

She held his arm to steady him as he climbed out the window and onto the lower roof. A fine sheet of snow covered the slate making it much more slippery than he had imagined. Once he was stood up she passed the sack of presents over to him.

"Okay I'll shout Sophia," she said getting ready to close the window.

"Hurry up before I freeze to death," he grumbled back.

He tried to reposition himself so he was facing the window, his heart leaping when he lost his footing on a particularly icy slate. He quickly steadied himself, his body tensed painfully as he tried to keep completely still. This is how he was going to die, in the freezing cold, in a goddamn Santa costume trying to get his daughter to go to sleep. Carol may have found it amusing now but she wouldn't if he slipped and broke his fucking neck.

"Soph! He's here! Santa's on the roof!" Carol called from the top of the stairs.

"Nuh uh!" She called back.

"He is, come and look!" She stood and listened as the pitter patter of tiny feet came bounding towards the stairs.

Carol showed her to the bedroom room and pointed at the figure standing oddly stiff on the roof. Sophia took one look at the window and let out the most high pitch squeal Carol had ever heard. There he was, Santa Claus, with all her presents slung over his shoulder. She ran as fast as she could down the hall to her own bedroom.

Carol waited until she heard the slam of her door before opening the window.

"It worked," she whispered taking the sack he shakily held out to her. Daryl slowly inched his way back towards the window.

"Son of a bitch," he cried as he almost slipped again.

"Careful," She said grabbing his arm to pull him back in.

When he was back in and the window was shut she decided to go and check on Sophia. Pushing open the door she heard small sniffling sounds coming from the little bundle hiding under the duvet.

"Hey, hey baby what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Because Santa is here and I'm not asleep," Sophia sobbed, her tear streaked face popping up from under the duvet. "He's not gonna give me my presents."

"Oh honey no, no it's okay," She soothed. "I've just spoken to him and he's gonna come back. He's gonna visit the rest of the street first so you have a little time to go to sleep."

"Okay, okay good," She hiccuped. "Let me say goodnight to Daddy."

"No!" Carol stopped her from running back out to find Daryl. "He's still talking to Santa."

"Okay. Night night Mommy," she whispered giving Carol a wet kiss on the cheek, her little frown turning into a grin before burying herself back under the covers.

Carol tiptoed back to her room and saw that Daryl had wasted no time in shedding the Santa costume, standing in the middle of their room in nothing but his black boxers. She strolled towards him and wrapped her arms around him once again.

"Thank you," she spoke softly, her lips pressing a trail of gentle kisses across his collarbone and up his neck. "You're amazing."

"Uh huh," he chuckled. "Now about you making it worth my while?"

"Yes?" She asked pulling back to smile at him mischievously.

"You wanna join me in the shower? I'm cold," he stuck his lower lip out in an over dramatic pout.

"Mmmmm," She hummed nodding enthusiastically. "But... first we have to wrap these."

She watched his face fall as she thrust the sack of presents towards him, he peeked inside to see not one of them had been wrapped.

"Sorry," she winced slowly walking backwards. "The quicker you come help me, the quicker I can make good on my promise."

She shot him a wink before disappearing down the hallway. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, it was gonna be a long night.


End file.
